The big pipe known as a siphon stretches into the Malheur County farmland, carrying its precious cargo of water. A recent string of storms helped some sections of the county in terms of water supplies but other other areas did not receive much moisture. (Malheur Enterprise/FILE) NYSSA – The Owyhee[Read More…]
Tag: MALHEUR COUNTY AGRICULTURE
Governor declares drought relief for Malheur County
Lake goers ride jet skis to cool off last summer at Bully Creek Reservoir. Water will be a key issue over the coming months as drought lingers and Gov. Kate Brown approved help for Malheur County Monday. (The Enterprise/FILE) VALE – Gov. Kate Brown Monday approved drought declarations for Malheur[Read More…]
USDA announces new funding for Owyhee Irrigation District as Biden visits Oregon
A visitor to Lake Owyhee looks over the water in June 2021. The Owyhee Irrigation District is in line to receive federal money to help it complete infrastructure upgrades. (The Enterprise/FILE). NYSSA – The Owyhee Irrigation District will receive a big boost from the federal government to help revamp its[Read More…]
Malheur County declares drought emergency, expecting ‘severe economic damage’
Ranchers and farmers are bracing for an upcoming growing and harvest season haunted by the specter of drought. (The Enterprise/FILE) VALE – Malheur County is forecasting “widespread and severe economic damage” because of the area’s drought conditions, according to a county declaration of emergency. The Malheur County Court approved the[Read More…]
Owyhee Irrigation District sets allotment for spring irrigation
The Owyhee Irrigation District issued its new allotment for water users recently. (The Enterprise/FILE) NYSSA – Mother Nature may have come to the rescue for area farmers dependent on irrigation water in the nick of time. Kind of. Thanks to a good runoff and improving stream flows area reservoirs are[Read More…]
As western drought lingers, low reservoir levels locally may mean tough planting and growing season ahead
A section of the Malheur siphon funnels water from the Owyhee Dam to nearby irrigation canals in and around Vale. A lingering drought combined with meager snowfall could impact the region’s agriculture industry. (The Enterprise/FILE) VALE – Mother Nature’s water storage bank account is nearly drained. If nothing changes between[Read More…]
Spring, summer climate swings batter Malheur County’s onion harvest
A steep shift in the weather last summer, where high temperatures scorched the county for weeks, impacted the 2021 onion harvest. (The Enterprise/File). Heat hammered the local onion industry in 2021. Local onion producers and packers suspected in the fall that lower yields – triggered by a wave of high[Read More…]
Spring weather, summer heat leads to reduced onion yields
A combination of adverse weather conditions in the spring and summer conspired to impact the total yield of onions locally. (The Enterprise/PAT CALDWELL). VALE – A dismal blend of high summer temperatures, smoke and a windy spring stymied the local onion harvest as local producers are seeing lower yields per[Read More…]
Vale area farm proposed to become home to one of Oregon’s largest dairies
The state Agriculture Department is considering a request to triple the number of cows permitted on a Vale area farm, ahead of plans for a new dairy operation. (The Enterprise/PAT CALDWELL) VALE – A farm west of Vale could be converted into one of the largest dairy operations in Oregon[Read More…]
Drought, hot weather produce new challenges for area ranchers
Beef sales jumped recently at Producers Livestock Marketing in Vale as drought conditions prompted some ranchers to sell their cattle earlier than normal. (The Enterprise/AUSTIN JOHNSON). VALE – High temperatures and a lingering drought are pushing some area ranchers to sell their stock earlier than usual because vast stretches of[Read More…]